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Ok, February was short and I didn't get this out in time and I blamed it on the length of the month...uh...no excuses with the length of March! ;c)
Spring has sprung here and with some of the pressures I feel at the moment, I feel a bit like an old sofa with a few springs about to be "sprung" from being sat on just a bit too long...
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Health - No real change for David's health issues. Still have the stress test to go. That's scheduled for April 20th. Mostly with my body, I'm "prophesying to my dry bones to hear the Word of the Lord and live!" (Ezekiel 37)
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Immigration - Seemingly no real changes here either. We met 3 weeks ago with a Christian agency that helps asylum seekers in France. That isn't our case, but at least the people understand our perspective and understand immigration law and procedures. We hope they can help guide us through the maze of making our situation more stable here. We had hoped to have heard back from them by now so as to send in a letter contesting the first negative response we received. We've not heard anything yet, so we need to make sure we leave it in the Lord's hands.
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Rachel's Schooling - Rachel is making progress in her course work and finally we seem to also be making progress in her application process for next year at Black Forest Academy. As usual our situation fits in nobody's box and we feel like we're constantly jumping through hoops to do the right things this year to help Rachel get into next year. That's the nature generally of "transition" and that's right where we are literally with Rachel's schooling as she transitions from the French system to the American system. We are finally receiving some things from the administration of Black Forest that indicate that we're providing them what they need. Thank you Lord!
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Ministry - March was a full month with preparation for the visit of the American High-schoolers, then their visit, and leading worship for the conference at church.
The High-Schoolers' visit was interesting. It being their 2nd year coming to visit us, we had many of our logistics more smoothly worked out. That would not, however, ensure that all went smoothly! ;c) God has a way (in this case with a freakish snowstorm and lost luggage) to ensure that He is our highest goal and not just a "smooth ride".
Their connecting flight from Frankfurt to France was canceled 5 consecutive times! and they ended up arriving on train 2 days late...without their luggage. Our nicely planned schedule was adjusted and they were pushed to their limits of flexibility without their luggage (1 poor guy didn't get his luggage until midnight Friday night before their Saturday early morning departure for Paris!). Their attitudes remained fabulous nevertheless and I think that allowed them to touch more of what God had for them on this trip.
Our relationships with the Americans deepened and several among their group have expressed a heart for missions and/or France as a direct result of the trip. For a "networker" like me, "my cup overflows!" It's exactly what I would have wanted as an outcome.
The visit was profound at so many levels and new relationships were made as well as last year's relationships re-enforced. This year Rachel, doing school at home, could participate much more fully both in connecting relationally and in participating in ministry while translating them from English to French during the chapel services that they did at Collège-Daniel.
The next week, Rachel and I helped lead worship at a conference at church with a well-known minister in France. Again this is the 2nd year that I've participated in this particular event and I can see God building something. First of all in our ability to minister in worship in this setting and then to receive as well. Rachel also was able to receive from this week. It was a delightful contrast between the two successive weeks of ministry that looked so different.
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Health - Next visit for David is April 20st to have his final cardiology test.
Angela seems to be battling back pain a lot lately. Her stretching classes have helped but once-a-week is small potatoes for real correction in that area. We both need more physical conditioning in our lives!
Olivia is having some teeth problems but we've finally found a dentist that is more caring and careful so we hope that the correction will be helping and not compounding the problem! ;c)
Rachel and David both need new prescriptions for their glasses. The one eye doctor we had found is now out with a prolonged illness and we're having difficulty finding another without a 6 month wait!
Please "prophesy" with me over our "dry bones" that they would live and join God's "exceedingly great army" (Ez 37:10) as in-shape soldiers!
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Worship Workshop - Next Friday I (David) begin to teach a 5-session (2-hour/session) workshop on "praise and worship" to 6 Junior High students at our Christian school. You may recall that this is something that I felt God asking me to do at the beginning of the year, but the time was not ripe/right then. I am still convinced of the strategic nature of this activity, but as is so true in most of my life, brining the strategic down to the tactical will be a challenge for me! ;c) Also challenging is the age-group and the specific 6 students who signed up for the workshop. This workshop is not about "music" or "talent". It's about establishing God's bases for worship and praise in our lives and planting these important seeds in this rising generation...at least that's how I see it.
I'm excited about the opportunity but still struggle with how to get the message across...challenging enough at an adult level. Extra-challenging with Junior High kids! ;c)
Pray for creativity! Pray for receptive hearts! Pray for the 6 kids: Claire, Mélodie, Naoumaï, Amandine, Myriam and Adrien!
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Establishing - I decided to call this Establishing instead of Immigration because I believe that really what needs to happen for us is not an issue of Immigration policy, but that we need to be about the work of Establishing the Kingdom of God in time and space here and God needs to be about Establishing our family...first in Him and then in time and space here. "Immigration" plays a part in that, but at this point only God knows how much.
In that same vein, I've recently had some conversations with a local Christian architect that could result in some movement in this area of both establishing us as a family and establishing the Kingdom of God here in Soultz. I can't say that I know exactly where it will go or what it will look like but I have this feeling that we're starting to touch something that God wants to do in this world but that will be contested in many ways.
Please pray for wisdom and discernment. Pray that our hearts would be established in Jesus. Pray that we would be led in the clear ways to establish Jesus' Lordship in Soultz.
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France - Perhaps you've read about more unrest in France recently...especially among the youth. There is a recent law that has come out about a young person's first job and what limitations there are to its "security". This has stirred up the youth to protest. The issue that I think needs prayer is not specifically this new employment contract and its details. Rather it's a "spirit of anarchy" that seems to be hitting France right now.
In '68, you had youth rioting virtually around the world, including Paris. In 2005-2006, it seems to be more limited, and in Europe, it's in France. At the moment, God wants to raise up a young generation in France who have God's heart for France and Europe...and that this passion would spread from France to other places in Europe.
The enemy wants to do a similar thing...but against France...
He is trying to abort this rising generation from catching His fire by inflaming them in hatred towards those (authority) for whom they should be interceding...and...he know that what starts here will spread to the rest of Europe.
Those are the stakes right now in France...
Pray that this generation of passionate intercessors/worshipers-to-be would not be aborted but would come "full term" to birth. Pray that this evil would not "spill out" of France, but that God's fire would be all that spills out of France.
Until next month!
David
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